Coral of Cowes: The Epitome of Style


Chao Lay alongside the Coral of Cowes at Antigua Sailing Week 2014

At Antigua Sailing Week 2014, Grenada Bluewater Sailing received some extra special treatment. The Coral of Cowes kindly offered to act as our mothership and host for the event. Owner Richard Oswald, and his welcoming crew, provided wonderful hospitality and camaraderie throughout.

 

Crew members from the Coral of Cowes, Jamie Smith and Charlie Couture, joined Grenada Bluewater Sailing on board Chao Lay to race in Antigua Sailing Week 2014. Our thanks for their hard work and dedication during the races. Check out the photograph (left) of Chao Lay alongside the Coral of Cowes.

Alex Johnstone, Bluewater Sailing:

Our mother ship and host, Coral of Cowes, made the whole event the best ever, with everyone on board having a fantastic time.

Classic Yacht Coral of Cowes

Coral of Cowes racing at the Antigua Classic Regatta 2014

The Coral of Cowes is the epitome of style, grace, and elegance. She was designed by Fred Shepherd, and built in 1902 by the White Brothers of Southampton. Shepherd was known for his mastery of the use of space, and the Coral of Cowes is a fine example of his art.

In the early 1920s, Sir Henry Drummond, owner of the South Western Railway, bought the Coral from her original owner who was a doctor from Cork. She then passed to her third owner, Frank Chaplin of Cumberland Gate, who twice beat the King of England while racing in the King’s Cup, in both 1926 and 1928.

Timeless Beauty and Classic Style

The deck hatch of the Coral of Cowes

Richard Oswald saw the potential in the Coral to work as a classic yacht charter. She had been rebuilt in 2005, by her previous owners, but was once again in need of love and care. Richard painstakingly refitted her in 2011, renaming her Coral of Cowes, and now her interior exhibits all the character of her original build. Lovingly and generously brought back to life; remaining, outside and in, a magnificent example of her genre. Devastatingly beautiful to behold, and essentially unspoilt.

A very sad update to the history of the Coral: https://www.classicboat.co.uk/news/owner-dies-as-1902-schooner-coral-of-cowes-sinks/